Future-proofing your team’s skills in 2025

Welcome to issue #12 of the ThreatReady!?

ThreatReady is your source of actionable truth based on the latest industry news. It offers a people-centric perspective that connects deeply with the challenges and triumphs of leading security teams and strategy.

If the cybersecurity landscape were a chessboard, the ThreatReady newsletter would be your strategic guide to staying three moves ahead of bad actors.

Skills will be paying bills in 2025 ??

Think your security team's skill set is future-proof??

Think again.?

Fresh data from Hack The Box's frontline work with 1,500+ global security teams reveals some serious plot twists in the 2025 talent landscape.

Spoiler alert: a fancy degree might not be the golden ticket it once was for identifying top security talent (or even getting hired).

Nearly half of US companies are reducing degree requirements in favor of practical skills—a move getting thumbs up from the White House's National Cyber Director.?

And with 67% of teams already using hands-on labs to benchmark talent, your next security rock star might come from an unexpected background.

But that's just one of the skills gap trends we’re observing this year. Here's what else we see cooking in 2025:

• Blue teams are finally getting their moment (and budget) in the spotlight as attack surfaces explode.
• Active Directory specialists are the new hot commodity (because apparently, 90% of Fortune 1000 companies still can't get enough of AD).
• AI-powered threats are keeping 60% of security pros up at night.
• Industrial Control System (ICS) security is going mainstream, with 38% of attacks sneaking in through IT backdoors.

?? Get the full scoop on closing these skills gaps.?

This panda's got teeth: a decade of state-sponsored hacks ??

Remember when pandas were just cute and cuddly? Well, Mustang Panda's been proving otherwise since 2012, running a cyber espionage operation that's as persistent as it is crafty.

The group's latest playbook reads like a recap of the greatest hits of cyber nastiness:?

• Spear-phishing emails masquerading as EU policy docs.?
• Infected USB drives that spread faster than office gossip.?
• DLL Side-Loading that hides malware inside legitimate Windows processes (hello, UsbConfig.exe, you sneaky devil).

But here's where it gets interesting: While most threat actors switch up their entire arsenal when detected, the APT has stuck to their favorite malware like it's their lucky charm.?

PlugX, their Remote Access Trojan of choice, has been their constant companion for a decade—though they've gotten creative about how they deliver it.

Wondering how you can fortify your endpoints and systems against such attacks??

HTB's got your back with hands-on training labs mapped directly to the APT’s techniques:

HorsePanda: Our offensive lab that lets you walk a mile in an APT's shoes. You'll craft sneaky RAR files, disguise Windows shortcuts as innocent Word docs, and master the art of DLL side-loading—all in a safe, controlled environment.?

HorsePanda-D: The defensive counterpart where your blue team can flex their investigative muscles. Hunt down compromise indicators, trace attack paths, and craft detection rules that'll spot these techniques in the wild. Bonus: We've thrown in some Uroburos rootkit action to keep things spicy.

??? Learn more about the HorsePanda labs and MustangPanda’s technique in our latest Attack Anatomy post.

Need Active Directory superheroes? HTB CAPE has got you covered?

We’re thrilled to announce the next big step in our certification journey: HTB Certified Active Directory Pentesting Expert (HTB CAPE).?

The HTB CAPE certification is highly valuable for cybersecurity teams in industries where Active Directory (AD) security is essential to protecting sensitive data and infrastructure. Financial institutions, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and the public sector are prime examples where robust AD security is critical for preventing unauthorized access.

In addition, large corporations with modern IT infrastructures, regardless of industry, are increasingly vulnerable to attacks targeting AD systems.?

With their expansive networks and critical digital ecosystems, these organizations are prime targets for attackers aiming to gain control over their entire network.

This new certification equips participants with advanced skills to identify and exploit AD vulnerabilities, navigate complex environments, and gain valuable insights into advanced threat mitigation strategies.

?? Enroll your team in HTB CAPE

G2 crowned us as the #1 platform for skills development ??

Hack The Box just dominated G2's inaugural Cybersecurity Professional Development category for Winter 2025!?

We're talking 13 shiny new badges and the coveted #1 spot in the industry category.

We’re honored to outperform industry averages across every metric that matters. The platform's gamified approach to cyber performance is certainly striking a cord with users, who gave us a Net Promoter Score of 92%. Some highlights from our trophy case:

• Momentum Leader badge (top 25% in the category)
• Market leader across Europe, UK, and enterprise segments
• Top marks for support and setup ease

?? Share your win with the community

Your expertise and insights are invaluable. And we’re eager to share them with our vast audience of over 3 million members.

We’d be honored to feature your top "win" of the month related to your team, department, or security program in the next edition of ThreatReady.

A “win” could be:

• Achieving compliance or industry standards.
• Successfully onboarding new team members.
• Celebrating your team’s performance.

The top wins will be shared in the next month’s edition of ThreatReady (and if it’s really good, may get some additional love on social media). Want to share your win?

Drop a comment below telling us what it is ??